Marketplace Tech

Joanna Stern, a senior personal technology columnist at The Wall Street Journal, dives into the intriguing world of AI chatbots and their new web search capabilities, outpacing traditional search engines. She also discusses the shocking bankruptcy of 23andMe and the looming questions about user data privacy. Additionally, the conversation addresses a significant security blunder involving a Trump official on Signal, highlighting vulnerabilities even in encrypted messaging. Prepare for a thought-provoking exploration of technology's impact on privacy and search!

Daniel Cohan, a civil and environmental engineering professor at Rice University, dives into the concept of virtual power plants. He explains how these networks aggregate electricity from homes and businesses to help balance energy supply and demand. As the demand rises, particularly from AI and electric cars, these systems are becoming crucial. Cohan discusses the incentives needed for customer participation and the impact of federal policies like the Inflation Reduction Act on the future of energy solutions.

Brady Dale, a skilled reporter and author of the Axios Crypto newsletter, dives into the SEC's first-ever crypto roundtable. He discusses the complexities of regulating cryptocurrencies like stocks and bonds, highlighting the challenges faced by both industry leaders and skeptics. The conversation touches on the SEC's shifting legal stance, the importance of transparency in crypto, and recent regulatory changes affecting meme coins and stablecoins. Dale emphasizes the delicate balance between investor freedoms and necessary oversight in an evolving crypto landscape.

Ziv Ben-Zion, a clinical neuroscience researcher at Yale and the University of Haifa, discusses his study on AI chatbots and anxiety. He reveals how traumatic stories can provoke anxious responses from these bots, raising questions about their potential in mental health support. The conversation highlights the risks of using AI for emotional guidance, emphasizing the importance of cautious application. Additionally, mindfulness techniques are explored as a way to enhance chatbot interactions, underscoring the emotional implications for users.

The electric vehicle industry is booming in the Southeast, with a significant focus on a massive battery plant in Kentucky. Workers are advocating for union representation to address safety concerns and job security. As the United Auto Workers aim to organize the sector, the episode delves into the challenges those workers face in achieving fair wages and safer working conditions in a rapidly evolving manufacturing landscape. This movement reflects broader aspirations for labor rights in a region where good jobs are hard to come by.

Christina Farr, Managing Director at Manatt Health, shares her insights on the rapidly evolving landscape of healthcare technology. She discusses Hinge Health's bold IPO amidst market uncertainties and the groundbreaking Stanford tool that evaluates AI models in real-world healthcare scenarios. The conversation highlights the pressing challenges of integrating AI, like the issues of data quality, and underscores the urgent need for innovation spurred by demographic shifts. Farr emphasizes how these developments could transform patient care and reshape health tech.

Stanford University has long been a feeder for the neighboring tech industry with graduates often heading to a brand name of Silicon Valley. But the times, they are a-changin’, according to writer Jasmine Sun. She reported recently for the San Francisco Standard that building tech for the military has become cool on campus. One student, Divya, said her “most effective and moral friends are now working for Palantir.” Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Sun about how this shift compares to when she attended Stanford in the late 2010s.

Federal officials are warning consumers against a type of cyberattack that’s been on the rise. It’s called Medusa, a ransomware program that uses tactics like phishing to infect a target’s system and encrypt their data, which hackers then threaten to publicly release unless a ransom is paid. Medusa is just one example of how hackers are evolving their strategies at a time when federal cybersecurity resources are being cut by the Donald Trump administration. Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Lesley Carhart, director of incident response for North America at cybersecurity firm Dragos, to learn more about the use of embarrassment as a weapon and the impact of funding cuts on digital safety. 

You could say once your company becomes a verb, you’ve arrived. And “Venmo me” is a pretty common phrase these days. Mobile payment apps like Venmo, along with Zelle and Cash App, are becoming pretty widespread, especially among young people. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, consumers under the age of 25 were twice as likely to have used some kind of mobile payment app compared to older Americans. But as with any form of money, there is etiquette about how to use them. Marketplace’s Stephanie Hughes spoke with Yanely Espinal, host of Marketplace’s “Financially Inclined,” a video podcast that provides money lessons for teens, about the do’s and don’ts of these payment apps.

Back when the pandemic first hit, many students received tablets or laptops from their schools. Schools also wanted to know what students were doing on those devices, so demand for AI-powered software to monitor students’ digital activities also grew. That surveillance software is the subject of a new investigation from the Associated Press andTthe Seattle Times, whic Claire Bryan coauthored. Marketplace’s Stephanie Hughes asked her what sort of things this surveillance software might flag.